The Last Dance All Over Again
by SugarQuillz
Summary: It's Mikan's 5th year at the Academy, and it's the end of another Alice Festival. That would mean another Last Dance! Every year's been the same for Mikan, what could be so different about this one? Maybe the fact that she's finally realized her feelings!
1. Routinely Deafness Matters

Nie-chan: Hiya! This is my first fanfic at so gomen if there are any mistakes. I absoloutley LOVE Gakuen Alice! Both the anime and the comic are so cute and not to mention funny! For a start at a fanfic I've decided to take the main plot from the real thing and modify it to how I think the story should've gone. So… on with the story ne?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Gakuen Alice characters (sigh… I wish I could though, and I really wish they were REAL!). The main plot itself doesn't belong to me either (how's that for original?). They all are the rightful property of Higuchi Tachibana.

Summary: This is basically a revision of the Last dance episode, but it is taken place five years from the real thing, so Mikan and the others are 15. Tsubasa-senpai and Misaki-senpai are 19.

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**Chapter 1- Routinely Deafness Matters**

It has been approximately five years since the now popular Mikan Sakura had entered Gakuen Alice. The brunette had pretty much blossomed into a beautiful teen at 15, with curves just in the right places; causing her to now have her very own fan club. Mikan was now a three-star student due to the marvelous changes she has brought to the school ever since she entered and because she can now expertly use her Nullifying Alice.

But then again, some things never change….

BAM! CRASH! BOOM!

"Wah! I'm gonna be late!!! And I promised Tsubasa-senpai I'd be there early to help out too!!"

Mikan dashed out as fast as she could out of her dormitory and towards the academy's grounds as soon as she saw the time on her clock upon waking up from her nap. She had promised her Senpai's to help clean up their Alice Festival attraction in time for the Closing Ceremony that evening.

"_Dear Jii-chan, this is my fifth Alice Festival since I enrolled in Gakuen Alice. I've especially enjoyed this year's festival because we got so many customers at the Tokuryoku-kei (Special Ability) stand._

_This year, Tsubasa-senpai was the one to suggest that we hold an Alice Battle Tournament. We're supposed to battle with the customers using our Alices. If they can defeat us they can go on to the next level until they make it to the finish or lose._

_Do you know Jii-chan? I'm on the highest level because no one can get past my Alice. If they can defeat me, they can get a prize!..."_

At this thought Mikan's forehead wrinkled and she unknowingly pouted. This Alice Festival, no one got past her, not even her "Tou-san" Narumi-sensei…

Though this was not the reason for her sudden change in expression.

ONE person though, did get past her level in the game, just like he did just about every time he faced her.

Deep in thought (while running, mind you), Mikan didn't notice that she was about to collide into the object of her thoughts.

BAM

Mikan's eyes widened at the person she bumped into.

"Na-Natsume!"

Speak of the Devil…

The crimson-eyed firecaster was glaring down at her with a tinge of amusement evident in his eyes. Yes, it was the one and only Natsume Hyuuga that got past her AGAIN during the Tokuryoku-kei festival attraction and got the prize.

Over the years Mikan and Natsume have gone through a lot, and you could say they have finally accepted each others presence. Under all of that bickering, they share a strong bond with each other, though both are too stubborn to admit it.

"Oi Polka-dotted panties, watch where you're going!"

"Natsume you PERVERT!! For your information I'm not wearing Polka-dots today!" Mikan shouted, or rather screeched, at Natsume. He's never gotten tired of teasing her according to her undergarment, even though their already 15.

Natsume smirked, "Really, then what is it today?" He casually lifted Mikan's mustard-colored pleated skirt and looked under it as if it was the most normal thing to do.

Mikan's face paled and she stood frozen in sock, not believing what Natsume just did. After her brain finally processed the fact that Natsume had lifted up her skirt, her hands flew up to her mouth, and her pupils considerably dilated.

"Oh, so it is strawberry-prints today… Aren't you a little too old to be wearing prints… _Ichigo-kara?"_

At the sound of her long time nickname Mikan finally couldn't contain her rage anymore. With that, her face turned beet red,

"NATSUME NO HENTAI!!!"

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Meanwhile, all around the academy's campus, the people whom heard and recognized the deafening screech of the Nullifier sweat dropped ('SWT') and sighed for they were used to this kind of behavior from the outrageously childish teen.

**Hotaru**:

She looked up from one of her inventions to the direction of the sound, "_Baka…_" she muttered under her breath, and suddenly,

"I feel like blackmailing Nogi." With that she grabbed her bag of photos, Alice-proof camera, and duck scooter and flew off in search of her intended target.

**Yuu, Anna, Nonoko, Koko**:

"Oh dear, I wonder what Natsume did to Mikan-chan this time?"

"Well Iinchou, at least Hotaru-chan isn't around, or else she would've surely gotten hit with her Baka Gun…"

"All we can do is pray for them, I guess…" Anna nodded along with her blue-haired best friend.

"In the mean time I'll make a potion to ease our hearing pains!"

Koko guffawed, "Heh, I pity Natsume right now, I can hear both of their thoughts loud and clear, and from what I'm hearing, I think he's gonna need some of Nonoko's potions right now."

The four laughed and got back to whatever they were doing at that time, while Nonoko got right to brewing the potion with some help from Anna.

**Ruka:**

Ruka sighed at the direction of the scream while tending to his animal friends that were currently scurrying to him in shock from the pitch of Mikan's scream.

'_Kami-Sama Natsume, what did you do to Sakura-san this time?_' he thought, shaking his head disdainfully.

'_Why can't he just tell her he likes her for goodness sakes?_' he thought to himself, and heaved out another sigh.

Kami-Sama knows how stubborn his best friend could be at times; but with his last statement, Ruka's current love dilemma also came to mind.

'_Heck, why can't I tell Imai I love her!?_'

He had long given up Mikan to Natsume because he knew both of them needed the other, but how he had come to fall for his blackmailer was out of his (and perhaps any other human's) thinking range.

Ruka's animal friends, sensing their master's growing stress nuzzled him as if asking what was wrong.

Ruka, still deep in thought croaked out a "Why?" earning confused looks (if they could actually do that) from his furry friends.

"Why? Why huh, why is it so hard to just say 3 stupid words!?" With each sentence, growing louder, Ruka's brain was nearing his peak, and he was about to lose it on himself when,

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

"Hmm, it isn't very often Nogi gets upset for no reason at all. To top it all off, his expression could earn me millions of rabbits." A monotone voice said while clicking away with her 'oh so trusty' camera, with rabbit signs in her eyes.

"IMAI, GIVE THOSE BACK!"

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Going back to Natsume and Mikan's situation, Natsume was currently smirking at the latter's face which was flushed from releasing energy into that one scream.

Though his usual cool and collected composure stayed on the outside, Natsume was just about ready to go deaf after hearing the brunette's painful scream.

'_Baka Polka-Dots,_' He hissed in his head, suppressing a groan and struggling to refrain from shouting in exasperation about his thoroughly damaged eardrums.

'_I'm surprised that her loudmouth idiotic voice itself isn't an Alice._'

"Urusai Ichigo-Kara, you're making my ears bleed." He gave her his ever so famous death glare which earned a disgusted grumble from Mikan.

Mikan started rambling in a very loud tone of voice which was a blur in Natsume's ears, since he was in his own train of thoughts; though he did managed to lip-read some of the words and put them together. She was busy complaining, more to the sky than to him about why he was being such a perverted jerk.

"WHY DO YOU TORMENT ME NATSUME?!" Mikan screamed at him which was followed by a deafening ring in Natsume's ears.

'_Kami-Sama, someday her voice could be the death of me.'_

Deciding not to damage his poor eardrums any further, Natsume decided to interrupt her reverie, "Don't to have to go somewhere Little Girl? You're wasting my time you know."

Mikan's face instantly brightened up at what Natsume said which made her remember where she was going to in the first place, but the smile was quickly replaced with a frown hearing what nickname Natsume called her this time.

"Never mind, I have no time for the stupid pervert. I have to go and meet up with Tsubasa-senpai anyways"

She brushed past Natsume whom, unknowing to her had caught every bit of what she muttered.

'_She's meeting with the shadow freak? What could she wanna do with that kage? Hn, I'll tail her then._'

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Nie-chan: Well that wasn't so bad for a first time I guess… This chapter was only an intro anyways, showing how the characters have changed.

Review PLEASE!!


	2. A Flicker of Something

Nie-chan: Uwaaa...! Thanx soo much for those who reviewed! Special thanks to: **Yumetsukihime**, **IAmTheBattleMaiden**, **Irumi Kanzaki**, **ruinprincess**, and **winglessfairy25 **!

It really makes me happy!! So... presenting chapter 2!!! Wekz... Oh and um, just so you know... The genre of this story is actually supposed to be **Romance/Drama/Humor**, but since only puts two genres then I'll put it here myself!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Gakuen Alice characters (sigh… I wish I could though, and I really wish they were REAL!). The main plot itself doesn't belong to me either (how's that for original?). They all are the rightful property of Higuchi Tachibana.

Summary: It's Mikan's 5th year at the Academy, and it's the end of another Alice Festival. That would mean another Last Dance! Every year's been the same for Mikan, what could be so different about this one? Maybe the fact that she's finally realized her feelings!

Character Ages: Mikan and gang: 15,

Tsubasa-Senpai and other senpais: 19

Stuff You Should Know: "_Italics"_ & _Italics_ Flashbacks

'_Italics'_ Thoughts

**Previous Chapter:**

"_Never mind, I have no time for the stupid pervert. I have to go and meet up with Tsubasa-senpai anyways"_

_She brushed past Natsume whom, unknowing to her had caught every bit of what she muttered._

'_She's meeting with the shadow freak? What could she wanna do with that kage? Hn, I'll tail her then.'_

**Chapter 2 – A Flicker of Something**

Mikan skipped seemingly alone through the school grounds of Gakuen Alice, headed for the place her class' Alice Festival stand was set up.

Little did she and everyone else know that a certain firecaster by the name of Natsume was following her.

For every turn she went through he was within half a mile's radius from her; slipping unnoticed through the people, and watching her silently from the shadows that engulfed his figure,

'_Just like the darkness that has consumed me_' He thought to himself.

Natsume still did missions for the Gakuen, though it was not Persona that gave him missions anymore. After Persona failed to carry out the mission given by the Elementary Principal to eliminate Mikan during the Hana-Hime's Party, he decided to take matters in his own hands by sending Koizumi Luna to take the things most precious to Mikan. That, unfortunately for him, failed too.

Now, the Elementary Principal was personally assigning missions to Natsume, after failing his mission, Persona mysteriously 'disappeared' the day after and Natsume was left to be trained personally by the headmaster.

'_I am tainted. Stained with even more darkness than ever before_'

As he followed the only person he holds most precious, he thought of the training he had undergone with the Elementary Principal, it was like hell itself had descended upon him. He was forced to use vast amounts of his Alice at training sessions which shortened his lifespan even further.

The only reason he was still alive was because the _Polka-Dotted Panties Girl_ stayed around him, unconsciously nullifying the effects of his Alice.

Though he never showed it on the outside, he was thankful that Mikan did choose to stay his friend after all that she's learned about him.

"_Dark Operative... Murderer..._"

People shunned him for something he never chose to do, since he covered for his Imouto's actions about the arson, no one dared come near him as he was thought to bring only sadness to those who tried to get close to him.

Which was why he was given the alias Kuro Neko or '_Black Cat_'.

After all that happened, he and Ruka made a promise to never show such weakness again, and he lived his life not caring whether he got hurt or not. He would've gladly died at that time. His chance to sacrifice his life came when Reo had kidnapped him at 10 years old.

"_Before you turn this place into a sea of flames, I'd like to know your reasons for returning to the academy" Reo had said, as Natsume was about to self-destruct along with the contents of the gunpowder filled warehouse and Reo himself._

_A flurry of thoughts were running through Natsume's head, from the times Persona had threatened him, to the time when he and Ruka had stayed up one night, and to the vision of his sister Aoi crying for him._

"_The happiness of those dearest to you... Depends on your heart. Understand Natsume?" Persona's words rang through his head._

'_Yes' He thought._

"_Why Natsume?" Ruka had stayed with him that night, when he was heavily bruised in both mind and body. "Why is it always you?" _

'_It's always me who gets into this mess. I'd rather die than live a life like this.'_

'_After all, who would like, or choose to live with this agony and suffering?'_

"_Onii-chan..." Aoi called to him, sobbing..._

'_Everyday I feel as if my head has been pushed into a swamp. But what matters most is the fact I couldn't protect anything...'_

"_Onii-chan" She called out, but no one was coming._

'_Not the academy, not even you guys Ruka and Aoi...'_

'_I'm sick of all this!'_

Then she came... She came with that idiotic smile of hers, her optimistic personality that she'd always kept with her even if she knew she was being watched as he was. She was there with him, where there was him there was her. Even in his dreams she was the light that guided him slowly, carefully out of the darkness

He never thought of her as anything other than a disturbance when she came to Gakuen Alice. Only her Alice had sparked up the curiosity within him. His point of view on her changed drastically... somewhere after the 'Reo Incident'.

That night when he was kidnapped she came back for him, though for idiotic reasons. A flicker of something stirred inside him that night, and whatever that was had the mere sight of her hurt, caused him to blow up, _literally_.

In a way, she was the same as he, sacrificing herself for her friends, though she expressed it more than he did. Sometimes he was even jealous of her. It was so easy for her to show her feelings; it was the one thing that drew the line between them.

Slowly and gradually, he began to recognize the feeling and treasured it in his heart. The same flicker of 'something' stayed within him, through the years; and he learned that, the more he denied it the more it would grow.

'_So I love her then?_' he contemplated to himself one morn under the Sakura tree.

He knew he wasn't supposed to show emotion, but he decided to blame it on the optimistic girl, for his own good and for hers. As the Kuro Neko, he was forced to do the Gakuen's bidding. Natsume, being Natsume always rebelled against them, but they always had a way to make him obey.

"_Do not oppose Natsume, remember what will happen to those whom are important to you…"_

His consequence for disobeying the Gakuen's orders would be that they would kill those he cared for. Before it was only Ruka and Aoi, now it included Mikan as well. He tried as best he could to push her away, by calling her names, insulting her and being cold towards her, but that only made her come in to his life even more. Deep inside he was glad for that, but he was also worried.

He decided it was better to keep his feelings to himself for the time being, though it was already obvious in the eyes of such people like Imai Hotaru, the annoying Mind Reader and his best friend Nogi Ruka.

'_Ruka..._'

Of all of the girls in the whole Gakuen, Natsume just HAD to fall for the annoying, clumsy, not to mention idiotic and dense Mikan Sakura. And who better to be a rival in love than his own BEST FRIEND.

They both were aware of each other's feelings towards the _Patterned Panty Girl_. Though they were best friends they still fought to be with the brunette who was oblivious to their actions. Good things did come from loving the same person, when Luna was keeping him and Mikan separated, Ruka had been there for her, for both boys promised to protect her _in their own ways_.

Natsume had tried his best to keep Luna away from Mikan during the time she was there. He immediately knew she was trouble ever since she tried to touch Mikan and decided that he would protect Mikan from the witch.

During that time Natsume purposely ignored the brunette to push her away from Luna; and as he thought, Ruka would've stayed by her side all the while. He was partly glad for that fact. With him, Mikan would've gotten into more trouble than she already was in. He was only a magnet for unknown dangers, whether it was from the higher-ups or the AAO.

'_She's better off with Ruka…_'

It was decided then, that he would give her up to Ruka, for her sake. But hard as he tried to give her up, his heart wouldn't let go of the feelings that had already made its mark inside his heart.

Which was why he now believed he still had a chance with her, possibly when all the ruckus with the superiors and AAO was done. The flicker of 'something' still stayed within him to the present day, now being recognized as the most cherished feeling within Natsume…

Natsume smiled, it didn't matter if he did anyways, since he was safely hidden in the trees, with Mikan not far ahead of him.

'_Maybe fate isn't so cruel after all… At least she'll be here with me, no matter where she stands in my life. As just a friend… Or more.'_

He shivered at his own thought. He realized he was getting too soft, even on himself. He wasn't one to think optimistically of life.

He let out a low grunt, barely audible to anyone else but himself. That Polka-Dots had successfully gotten to him after all.

As he jumped into a nearby tree, Natsume noticed that they (Mikan and him) were nearing a clearing; he instinctively stiffened as he sensed a presence in the middle of the clearing Mikan was headed to. He quickly but silently brushed off the leaves that obscured his vision from making out the silhouette of the person Mikan was fast approaching.

He finally made out the figure, it was

'_Hotaru!_'

Mikan happily thought as she rushed over as quickly as she could to where her _bestest_ friend was standing, but stopped abruptly when she noted the expression that Hotaru was wearing on her face.

It was a look that usually wasn't seen on the callous face of a certain Hotaru. Hotaru was looking high on alert as she was on her duck scooter, constantly looking in one direction as if expecting something to come from there. She seemed to be in a disturbed state, so disturbed that she hadn't noticed Mikan's presence.

At this, Mikan formed a brilliant plan in her head with that 'Mikan-sized' brain of hers. She smirked to herself at the thought.

From the branches of the tree, Natsume observed the situation. As he recognized the Baka's best friend, he immediately thought she was going to hug her, like she usually does. He was surprised when she paused in the middle of her actions, and got curious when he saw a devilish smirk present on her face.

'_What are you planning in that baka brain of yours Youjo?_'

Meanwhile, the object of Natsume's thoughts was about to execute her seemingly brilliant idea.

'_Heehee, Hotaru! You don't seem to see me...Hmm... I'll surprise you then...'_

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Nie-chan: Hoee!!! Sorry for the VERY late update everyone who read this fic!! I'm seriously one LAZY writer! I'm telling you, this was pretty hard to

write cause its hard to think like Natsume does... This one was also a bit manga-based too and one of the dramatic chapters in the

story. Hope you like it! If there's anything wrong just tell me!

REVIEW PLEASE!!!


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